David Oyelowo will star with Hugh Jackman in Lee Daniels' Selma

Hugh Jackman was the first to officially sign on to Lee Daniels’ upcoming film SELMA, but there were still many important historical figures that had to be cast. Not the least of which was Martin Luther King Jr. and today we get word that relative unknown David Oyelowo will take on the tough task of portraying the Civil Rights leader. Oyelowo starred in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’, but hasn’t appeared in anything most audiences would recognize. There was speculation that Robert De Niro would be playing Governor George Wallace, but that has since been denied and no other casting choices have been announced.

SELMA tells the story of the famous Civil Rights march in Selma, organized by Martin Luther King Jr. There have been problems getting the film off the ground, the most recent revolves around a lack of funding. But Daniels is moving full speed ahead.